custard
Established Member
Smaller engineering squares have a role in woodworking, both on the timber and for machine set ups. But once you go over about 200mm they start to get a bit too heavy, and by 300mm they're definitely too heavy. I don't know about your woodworking, but I reach for a 300mm square several times every single working day, so I'd like one that's practical to use.
I doubt engineer's actually use their squares in the same way as a woodworker, we'll often be butting the stock up against the edge of a board and then using the blade to reference 90 degrees. Engineer's don't seem to do that much, and when they do they have special squares for that sort of task, squares with a short blade protruding from the inside edge of the stock to help carry the weight, but because that precludes using the inside of the square that's not really practical for us. Having the heavy stock on a 300-600mm engineer's square, butted up against a board's edge, but still unsupported underneath, well that's not a reliable or sensible way to strike an accurate line.
That's why the main squares that I see used in professional furniture workshops today are combination squares. They're lighter, more versatile, and they offer the woodworker a number of features that are invaluable on a day to day basis.
The trouble is that manufacturing a really accurate combi square, and one that will stay accurate across many years, isn't a simple or cheap task. For site work sure a Bahco combi or suchlike is the sensible choice, especially when you can get a triple pack of a 6", 12", and 18" Bahco's for under £30. But for reliable precision at the bench then I don't see many alternatives to taking a deep breath and getting a couple of Starrett combi's.
I'd be interested to hear from people like Peter Sefton or David Charlesworth as to what advice they give to their students? I recall glancing through the hand tool book by that famous tool skinflint Paul Sellers, and being surprised that even though he talked about how to make your own router plane, when it came to squares he just showed a photo of a Starrett combi! Furthermore, I know that a couple of the best rated C&G furniture making programmes are pretty clear on their recommendations, their message is that there are lots of places to economise on a tool kit, but layout tools aren't one of them.
I doubt engineer's actually use their squares in the same way as a woodworker, we'll often be butting the stock up against the edge of a board and then using the blade to reference 90 degrees. Engineer's don't seem to do that much, and when they do they have special squares for that sort of task, squares with a short blade protruding from the inside edge of the stock to help carry the weight, but because that precludes using the inside of the square that's not really practical for us. Having the heavy stock on a 300-600mm engineer's square, butted up against a board's edge, but still unsupported underneath, well that's not a reliable or sensible way to strike an accurate line.
That's why the main squares that I see used in professional furniture workshops today are combination squares. They're lighter, more versatile, and they offer the woodworker a number of features that are invaluable on a day to day basis.
The trouble is that manufacturing a really accurate combi square, and one that will stay accurate across many years, isn't a simple or cheap task. For site work sure a Bahco combi or suchlike is the sensible choice, especially when you can get a triple pack of a 6", 12", and 18" Bahco's for under £30. But for reliable precision at the bench then I don't see many alternatives to taking a deep breath and getting a couple of Starrett combi's.
I'd be interested to hear from people like Peter Sefton or David Charlesworth as to what advice they give to their students? I recall glancing through the hand tool book by that famous tool skinflint Paul Sellers, and being surprised that even though he talked about how to make your own router plane, when it came to squares he just showed a photo of a Starrett combi! Furthermore, I know that a couple of the best rated C&G furniture making programmes are pretty clear on their recommendations, their message is that there are lots of places to economise on a tool kit, but layout tools aren't one of them.
